Light In Darkness
by sapphire wind
Summary: What if Zeref stopped using his magic to hurt people and learned value life instead? Why is all these connected to Mavis Vermilion? And what would Fairy Tail do about it? ZeMa, NaLu, GrUvia, JeRza,  GaLe, MirIed and ElfEver.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: What if Zeref stopped using his magic to hurt people and learned value life instead? Why is all these connected to Mavis Vermilion? And what would Fairy Tail do about it? ZeMa, NaLu, GrUvia, JeRza, GaLe, MirIed and ElfEver.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Mavis and Zeref<strong>

"What are we going to do with _him_?" Natsu asked his co-members while they were at the grounds of Tenroujima. After the Grand Magic Tournament, the mages of Fairy Tail returned to Tenroujima to visit Mavis's grave. Although, the one they never expected to be there was present. The Black Mage Zeref was there standing in front of Mavis's grave.

_-flashback-_

_"We're finally going to know where the first Master's grave really is!" Natsu announced excitedly while Lucy and the others nodded._

_"Aye Sir!" Happy said._

_"That's only proper because Mavis-san cheered for us during the Mage Competition even though she was supposed to be resting here on Tenroujima." Lucy said._

_"But you know, I think that the first Master's really awesome. I mean, she's already dead but because she still wants to support the guild she founded, she visits us even in her astral form."_

_"Fairy Tail is the guild she founded after all." Erza said._

_"Once a Fairy Tail mage, always a Fairy Tail mage." Gray said._

_They continued walking until they reached the center of the forest. They were all stunned to their places when they saw someone standing before Mavis's grave._

_Natsu's eyes widened and fury immediately built up within him. Lucy, Erza and Gray took their fighting stances while looking at the person before them. Happy just flew beside Lucy._

_"What are you doing here, Zeref!" Natsu exclaimed. Zeref sadly looked at them while his right hand was touching the tomb._

_"Natsu..."_

_"What are you planning on doing with Mavis-san's tomb?" Lucy asked._

_"So this is really her grave." Disappointment filled his voice while regretfully looking at the grave._

_"You bastard! Get away from the First Master's tomb!" Gray said._

_"I'm not going to harm Mavis Vermilion's grave. You can tie me up and lock me anywhere you want, just let me stay here for a while." Zeref said which caught everyone off guard._

_"How did you know Master Mavis's name?" Erza asked._

_"I know Mavis."_

_-"WHAT!"-_

_Natsu clenched his fist and ran to Zeref in attempt to give him a punch._

_"How the hell would you know our Master!"_

_Just as Natsu was about to deliver a powerful knuckle sandwich at Zeref, Mavis's grave let out a blinding light that stunned everyone. When the light faded, standing between Zeref and Natsu was Mavis herself._

_-"M-Master Mavis"-_

_"First... Master..." Natsu said as he let his arm down._

_"Mavis..." Zeref looked at the girl before him with surprise written on his features._

_"Please do not bring harm to this man." Mavis spoke in her usual gentle voice._

_"But Master... he's the Black Mage Zeref." Erza said._

_"I know, but please give us some time to talk. Zeref-kun and I have a lot of years to catch up with." Mavis turned to look at Zeref with a smile. The black mage's tears welled up in his eyes while looking at the blonde mage._

_"Mavis..."_

_Seeing that their Master's mind was made up, Natsu and the others left the two. They went behind the trees to give the two some respectable distance, but not far enough to not be able to aid her if something happens._

_-end of flashback-_

"What are we really going to do with him?" Natsu impatiently asked while his arms were crossed in front of his chest.

"Obviously, we can't do anything. Mavis-san requested us not to interfere with the both of them." Lucy said.

"Still, I'm surprised to hear from the First Master that she knows Zeref." Gray said while looking at Zeref and Mavis.

"The founder knows what she's doing. If she wants to tell us how they are connected to each other, she would tell us." Erza reasoned.

"Could it be that they're friends?" Happy asked that made everyone look at him.

"What makes you think that, Happy?" Natsu asked.

"Because Zeref said he knew Master Mavis and Master said that they have lots of years to catch up with. If they're not friends or they didn't know each other, would they say those things?" Happy said.

For once, they thought that Happy could be right. They all decided to observe for a while until they find out what's going on.

Zeref was still looking at Mavis with tears in his eyes while the blonde had a gentle smile on her lips.

"It has been a very long time, Zeref-kun. How are you?" She asked.

"Mavis..." The mage's tears finally fell and Mavis approached him to wipe them. Mavis let her hand remain on Zeref's cheek while the lad took comfort from the gesture.

"There's no reason for you to cry, Zeref-kun. I'm here."

Zeref reached for her hand that was on his cheek and held it.

"Why... Why are you..."

"Zeref-kun, it seems that just because I fell asleep for... 10 years, you did something you said you would never do again. I just let my eyes off you for a decade and you caused some mischief. What am I ever going to do with you?" Mavis said with a light frown on her face. Because of her childish antics, a small smile tugged Zeref's lips.

"I'm really no good without you."

"Hmph. You're going to give me a headache. I also don't want any wrinkles, you know."

"Mavis..." Zeref held both of Mavis's hands before surprising the girl as well as her guild members. The black mage hugged Mavis which made Natsu and the others gape at them.

-"What does he think he's doing!"- Natsu and Gray said in unison.

"H-He-He's h-hugging Mavis-san!"

"Ju-Just what is going on between Zeref and the First Master?"

"I missed you... I really missed you..." Zeref mumbled while Mavis smiled and returned the gesture.

"I figured that you would miss me. After all, we're childhood friends."

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><p><strong>Done with Chapter 1! I've been wanting to make a fiction between Zeref and Mavis ever since I saw the opening of Fairy Tail Episode 116. It made me curious about things so I decided to patch things up. XD<strong>

**Read and review please~**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back with Chapter 2! Oh, minna. Thank you for the reviews! ^_^**

**In the following chapters, there might be more flashbacks since some stuff happened during their childhood.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Their Past and a Chance<strong>

_"I missed you... I really missed you..."_

_"I figured that you would miss me. After all, we're childhood friends."_

-"Childhood friends!"- Natsu and the others gasped while looking at the hugging mages in front of them. It never crossed their minds that Zeref and Mavis could be childhood friends.

When Mavis and Zeref let go of each other, the blonde looked at her guild members and smiled at them.

"You guys can come here now. It would be better if all of you would know about our past."

The group of mages approached them and sat on the ground. Knowing Zeref wouldn't sit anywhere near any of them, Mavis tugged on Zeref's clothes hard enough to forcefully make him sit beside her. When the black-haired lad was settled beside her, Mavis looked at her guild members.

"I guess you're all wondering on how we became childhood friends."

"Sorry for the intrusion on your reunion. We just can't help but feel confused on how you knew each other, Master Mavis." Erza said.

"Let's see now. When I was eight years old, I often times went to this island by walking on the water's surface. I came here to play."

"Y-You walked on... th-the water's surface...?" Natsu stuttered out.

"I did. It's because of my magic. Anyways, when I was going to pick some apples for the animals here on the island, I saw Zeref-kun brooding under the apple tree which I often climbed for its fruits."

"Zeref... was already on the island that time?" Gray asked and Mavis nodded while the mage of their topic was as silent as ever.

"That's right. Seeing a child who was one year older than me here on an isolated island made me want to be friends with him. But you know what Zeref-kun did? He told me to go away because I'd die just by going near him." Mavis said with a pout while looking at Zeref who had a small apologetic smile on his face.

"But that's..." Lucy trailed off when Mavis smiled again.

"I know it's only reasonable for him to do it. He's the Mage of Death, or so that's what he told me. But I persuaded him and insisted that we should be friends. After an hour of ignoring me and me being persistent, Zeref-kun finally told me his name and accepted the fact that no matter what happens, I'd still insist on us being friends."

Natsu and his friends earned sweat-drops when they heard what the blonde said. They know just how persistent their Guild Founder could be especially when her mind's made up on doing something.

Mavis, on the other hand, seemed to be proud of that fact though. She was smiling cheerfully while looking at Zeref.

"What's with that look, Zeref-kun? You're going to grow mushrooms on your head because of your sulking." She said. Zeref sighed and shook his head.

"I'll take my leave." He said as he attempted to stand up. Mavis immediately grabbed his clothes again and pulled him down to sit. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she shook her head.

"No way, mister. You'll stay here and listen to the end our story even though you know it very well."

"Mavis... I don't want to harm any of your members. Let me go."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you would not put us in any harm? Had that curse of yours been true, I would've been dead a long, long time ago!"

Another sweat-drop made its way on the mages' heads and one thought crossed their minds at the same time.

_'Aren't you already dead?'_

Snapping out of their reverie, Lucy spoke up.

"Why was Zeref in the body of a kid back then?"

"Even I don't know. Ne, Zeref-kun. Why were you a child that time?"

"It's because my power weakened. I was just watching the war between humans that went on for 400 years. Because I do not intend to partake on any war, my power diminished and shrunk my body to that of a child's." Zeref answered.

Mavis turned to looked at Natsu and the others and smiled more.

"You see, Zeref-kun changed over the years. I know he's known for being the Mage of Death who brought darkness to the world 400 years ago but... that's not true. Up until now, I'm trying my best to unravel the truth about Zeref-kun's past. Even though it has been proven due to the previous encounter with Hades that Zeref-kun can really use his power to hurt someone if that's his intention, I still believe that there's more to this than what it seems. If only you would give Zeref-kun a chance..."

Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray and Happy contemplated on the request made by Mavis. They know that Mavis has an exceptional talent on seeing what's inside someone's heart.

Meanwhile, Zeref was astounded by what Mavis said. He knew long time ago that all of Mavis's intentions were pure, albeit childish and naïve. She was too innocent to simply point a finger at someone and blame them for some misfortune. No, Mavis won't judge anyone just because of what's being said around anyone. She'd search through everything just to reveal the truth.

Knowing that Mavis won't blame him for the unintentional deaths from the past gave Zeref a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. He looked down and smiled a bit. If he was asked as to what's a fairy for him, he'd definitely say it's Mavis.

Mavis was wriggling her feet while shifting her gaze from Zeref and her guild members. She saw that her five guild members exchanged looks before nodding and it was Erza who spoke for them.

"Master, if you truly wish us to give Zeref a chance, we would respect your decision and agree on your request."

"Really? You would really give Zeref-kun a chance?"

"Of course. He can't be all that bad if you trust in him so much."

Mavis squealed and clapped her hands. She stood up and gave each of her members a hug before grinning at Zeref.

"All that's left is for me to bring you to our guild!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Update, update! ^_^**

**Before anything else, I would like to make a special mention to my fellow authors named _*AquaMiyuki_ and _*fullscaleninja_. Your ZeVis fanfictions were totally awesome and those were what inspired me to create this fiction of mine.**

**A lot more surprises are stored in the following chapters! There'll be added characters like Jellal. -swoons- He's my top favorite male character so there's no way that he'd be left out. Besides, Erza's here and I love them so their pairing's gonna be included here. Anybody who hates Lahar for capturing Jellal? I'm gonna be mean to him when I put him in this fic. -evil grin-**

**On with Chapter 3!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Life and Fairy Tail<strong>

"Mavis, your guild members might be put in danger if I-"Zeref was cut off when Mavis tugged at his hand while they were walking to the shore.

"Stop being such a pessimistic guy, Zeref-kun. We're bringing you there and that's final. If they don't agree with you staying at my guild, then I'll be forced to make them sleep outside. Until I find the truth about your past, you'd be staying with us. You helped me before. It's now my turn to help you."

"They won't accept me easily. I'm the Mage of Death. You can't easily change their minds for them to accept me."

"Oh no, young man. You are going to my guild so I can protect you. For sure, now that the Magic Council knows that you're alive and here on Tenroujima, they're already planning to investigate the island and capture you. I can't let you get tortured there. You'd stay with me- I mean, with us until I solve everything."

Zeref followed her wordlessly as a flashback on how he saved her when they were kids crossed his mind.

_-flashback-_

_"Who are you and what are you doing here on a guild's holy island?" 10-year-old Mavis asked the man in front of her._

_"I came in search of you, Mavis Vermilion."_

_"Me? For what reason?"_

_"You have one of the three most powerful spells in your possession. I came here for the Fairy Glitter."_

_Mavis frowned a bit while looking at the man. In his eyes, she saw nothing but pure greed of power and the drive to challenge whoever was the strongest mage in a place. His heart was completely surrounded by darkness and Mavis knew that she could not help the man if ever she tried._

_"I believe I asked for your name. I do not intend to fight someone whose name I do not know of." Mavis said as her green eyes became dull._

_"I am Blue note."_

_As soon as Blue note's name left his lips, the clash of magic started. Blue note decided to use his control of gravity but Mavis was completely unaffected by it. Mavis held her right hand up and the ground shook. The tree roots as well as the boulders moved and all went flying to Blue note. The man barely had enough time to dodge all things that were coming on his way in lightning speed._

_In the midst of the attacks released by Mavis, the blonde felt a stinging sharp pain on her right side. Mavis looked at her waist and saw a blade stuck on it. How and when Blue note pierced her with that, she doesn't know._

_"It's a blade that depletes the wounded person's magic power, if you're wondering." Blue note said with a snicker._

_"Why do you want the Fairy Glitter?"_

_"To become the most powerful mage in the world. Fairy Glitter is an absolute spell that mercilessly rejects the owner's enemies to live after the battle. Only death awaits anything and anyone that the owner considers an enemy."_

_"I did not make the Fairy Glitter with death in my mind." Mavis winced when she took the blade from her side and dropped it to the ground. She could feel that a great deal of power has already been taken away from her and from the looks of things; her current power wouldn't be enough to send the man away from Tenroujima._

_Suddenly, when Blue note was about to cast the Black Hole spell on Mavis, the girl felt a strong surge of black magic approaching them. She looked around and saw Zeref walking towards them with a death glare directed at the man before Mavis. Black magic was also swirling around the young man, almost seeming to be a promise of death._

_"Is he the one who wounded you, Mavis?"_

_"Zeref-kun..."_

_"Answer me."_

_"I gave her that wound." Blue note answered._

_Zeref's eyes turned bloody red as he moved his arms in circular motion. Mavis's eyes widened upon realizing what spell Zeref was about to cast. Blue note began sweating as he became overwhelmed of the black mage's power. On the other hand, Mavis ran towards Zeref and hugged him tightly from behind._

_"Please don't kill him, Zeref-kun." She pleaded._

_"He hurt you and entered this island without your permission. He deserves to die."_

_"You must not burden yourself with more deaths. Please, Zeref-kun. Please don't do it."_

_Zeref lowered his arms but held his gaze on the shaking Blue note._

_"Leave this island now." He ordered._

_"I will be back, Mavis Vermilion. I'll get what I want." Blue note said as he left._

_Zeref's eyes returned to its black color as he turned around to look at Mavis. The girl's side was already bleeding so he let her sit on the ground._

_"Thank you... for not... killing him." Mavis said as she smiled._

_"I do not understand why you asked me to let the man who hurt you to live." Zeref used his locked-up healing powers on the blonde girl who was panting a bit._

_"Because lives are precious. It's given by God and must never be taken away by humans, be they mages or not. You see... the most wonderful gift in this world is life. Though some are unfortunate who have witnessed its dark side, with friends and loved ones, no matter what darkness there is, it can be overcome with light and love. That's why... I believe that... there will come a time when people of all kinds and races could live peacefully without wars and greed of power. That's also why I... built the Fairy Tail Guild." _

_Zeref thought about what Mavis said. Hundreds of years ago, he was branded as the Mage of Death due to the mass death that fell upon any place he went to._

_"Fairy... Tail...?"_

_"Hai. In my guild, we're not just mages. We're also friends and one big family. I'll try my very best to protect the kids and people in the guild. This island, Tenroujima, will be our guild's holy land. It will be our sanctuary and the source of our power. As long as the Tenrou Tree on this island is still rooted on the ground, the mages of Fairy Tail will never, ever fall."_

_Mavis looked at him and placed both of her hands on Zeref's, making the black-haired mage look at her._

_"Zeref-kun, as long as you have someone or something so precious that you want to protect it with your life, it doesn't matter whether you're a dark mage or not. Never forget to value one's life because we only have one chance to live it to the fullest."_

_-end of flashback-_

Zeref sighed as he looked at the blonde mage who was currently pulling him. All of them stopped by the shore and looked at the vast sea.

"You know... we forgot one teeny-tiny detail." Happy said while flying beside Natsu.

"How are we going to get back to the guild without a ship!" Natsu said.

"That's coming from the guy who can't even last one second on any means of transportation." Lucy commented with a sigh.

"Gray, can you turn the water into ice?" Erza asked the Ice mage.

"I can if the waves ain't this strong." Gray answered.

"Let's go, minna!" Mavis said cheerfully as if her guild members weren't having a big dilemma.

-"But Master..."-

Mavis smiled and waved her free-hand in front. Then, Spirit Light bugs came and flew beside her members.

"Let's go!"

Mavis ran on the water's surface while pulling Zeref along. The water earned small ripples when Mavis and Zeref ran on it.

"Alright! I've wanted to try this for a long time now! Lucy, Happy, Let's go!" Natsu said as he ran on the water's surface.

"Natsu!" Happy flew beside Natsu and grinned at Lucy.

"Hey! Wait up!" Lucy also ran to catch up with the Fire Mage and the Exceed.

"This will be a new experience." Erza said as she and Gray ran too.

"Got that right!"

"Hey, Droopy Eyes! I'm gonna race you to the port!"

"Bring it on, Fire Brain!"

Gray and Natsu began their race while the light bugs were following them. Lucy looked at the bugs and smiled.

"Master Mavis, are these bugs under your control?"

"You could say that. The island uses my magical powers to continue living and protect my mages. I just asked for those bugs to help me extend my power of flight to each of you." Mavis answered.

"Eh? You mean..."

"Tenroujima's divine protection, the nature's life on the island and the source of our supported magic powers... it's all from you, Master Mavis?" Erza said. At this, Mavis only smiled. Erza and Lucy exchanged surprised looks while running.

After ten minutes of running on the water, they reached Port Hargeon. Natsu and Gray were on each other's neck again because the result of their water race was a tie. The people who saw them running on the water's surface had surprised looks on their faces while Mavis was smiling like nothing out of the ordinary happened. Zeref was as quiet as ever while looking at his hand which was still intertwined with Mavis's.

"Let's go, guys. The guild's near." Mavis said while pulling Zeref to the guild's second base of operation.

Two months after the Grand Magic Tournament as well as the return of Fairy Tail's most powerful mages after seven years, Fairy Tail was back in business as well as its humungous palace for a guild. The mages and patrons who left returned when they heard the news of Fairy Tail being back in all its glory. Also, since they won one heck of a magic tournament, more mages applied to the guild. Because of this, Fairy Tail easily beat Twilight Ogre in terms of honor and reputation.

Erza and Lucy were mulling over what they had discovered. Mavis was the entire source of their power as the mages of Fairy Tail. Also, the blonde was the source of Tenroujima's divine protection and life.

_'Just what kind of girl is Master Mavis?'_ Erza thought. An irritated aura appeared behind her when Natsu and Gray wouldn't shut up behind them.

"Stop your bickering! You two are giving us headaches! Keep quiet, will you?" The red-haired mage said which instantly shut the mouths of Natsu and Gray.

-"A-Aye Sir!"-

"Happy Number 2 and Number 3." Lucy said with a giggle.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

All of them walked to the guild and it was Team Natsu who entered first and was greeted by the usual loud conversations of everyone in the guild.

"Yo, Natsu!"

"How's Tenroujima?"

"How'd 'ya guys get back?"

"What's up?"

"You guys will never believe who's with us!" Natsu said enthusiastically.

-"Who?"-

Mavis took this as the cue to enter her guild.

-"EHHHHHHHHHHH!"- Everyone exclaimed.

"Good afternoon, everyone." Mavis said.

-"Master Mavis!"-

"I'm not alone, though. Come inside." Mavis said as she pulled the black mage.

-"EEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH!"-

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><p><strong>How is it? Good? Bad? Terrible? I'm curious. Hehe.<br>I read this chapter three times before I uploaded it. I hope it's alright.**

**~ sapphire wind**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the late update! This chapter was 13 pages long in the document. It took me a while to finisht this.**

**Oh, oh! About the previous chapter when the people saw Natsu's group running on the water, it's just Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Erza, Gray and Zeref being seen by other people. Mavis is well, as good as invisible.**

**Hope you'll enjoy Chapter 4.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Makarov's Decision, Dancing Fairies and Water plus Ice<strong>

_"Good afternoon, everyone." Mavis said._

_-"Master Mavis!"-_

_"I'm not alone, though. Come inside." _

_-"EEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH!"-_

Everyone was gaping, staring and pointing at the mage that Mavis brought along. Seeing this commotion, Makarov approached the group that just entered and looked at Mavis. The blonde girl was about to count the number of jaws that hit the ground when Makarov spoke.

"Master Mavis, what's..."

"_Sandaime (1),_ I believe that you know who this man beside me is."

"Of course. We heard about him from Master Hades as well as Ichiya of Blue Pegasus. By now, everyone probably knows who that young man is." Makarov answered.

"I'm not even afraid to tell you guys that he is the one and only Black Mage Zeref." Mavis said with a smile. Zeref had his gaze on the floor all the while.

-"No way!"-

"Yes way!" Natsu shouted.

-"Really!"-

"Silence! Hear what Master Mavis has to say concerning the reason why she brought Zeref here." Erza ordered and immediately, everyone was all ears on them. Nobody in Fairy Tail wanted to tempt fate and anger Titania.

"Well then, now that I have your attention. I want you guys to hear me out, okay?"

Everyone in the guild nodded while Natsu grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. Mavis nodded and held Zeref's hand a bit tighter.

"I know that for most of you here, bringing Zeref-kun to our guild is unreasonable and dangerous. With his reputation, he can easily kill all of us if it's what he wants to do. But the thing is, Zeref-kun doesn't want anyone to die anymore because of him. I brought him here in the guild because I want to help him."

"You've got to be joking, Master Mavis. Back at Tenroujima, he tried to kill us with his swirling black magic. You can't possibly-"

***WHACK!***

All heads turned to the source of a rather powerful hit on Elfman's head and saw Evergreen with her fan on the man.

"Why did you do that, Evergreen!"

"Because you were thinking using your muscles and not your head, you humungous Elf!"

"The heck did you say!"

"Remember that time well! That guy had no intention of killing us! He told us to stay away from him and run when his powers went berserk! He can't possibly be all that bad if he told us that!" Evergreen said as she continued hitting Elfman with her fan.

"Stop it, you crazy fairy! His magic was the reason why Natsu's scarf turned pitch black! Have you forgotten that!"

"I still remember that!"

"My scarf's alright and I'm still alive, you know." Natsu said with a huff. Zeref turned to him with an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry about that, Natsu. I didn't mean to damage your scarf."

"Nah, it's alright. Wendy was able to change it back to normal." The pink-haired mage said with a grin.

"Master Mavis, you seem to trust that young man beside you so much." Makarov said and earned a gentle smile from Mavis.

"Of course I do. Zeref-kun was the very first one to know about the guild when I founded it. I also owe my life to him since he saved me before. We're friends and I'm not going to abandon him when he needs someone right now."

The whole group of mages inside Fairy Tail was silent for a moment until Makarov chuckled.

"As you wish, Master Mavis. Alright, you punks! Fairy Tail isn't going to close its doors for the mage Zeref! Instead, we're going to protect him from the people of the Magic Council! You got that, brats?"

-"Aye, Sir!"-

"Now let's get one big party started!"

"I'm all revved up!" Natsu said as he growled.

Zeref was immediately welcomed by the mages and true to their words, the mages started up one big welcome party for both Mavis and Zeref.

Everyone started to dance, sing and talk about how things were going. They also introduced themselves to the duo and after a short while, Mirajane handed Zeref a change of clothes consisting of white shirt, black jacket, pants and black boots. It was Mavis who suggested for him to change his outfit to which Zeref complied. After changing, Mavis smiled at Zeref and motioned for him to sit beside her with Team Natsu.

"How can they accept a person like me so easily?" Zeref said and Mavis placed her hand over his.

"Because this is Fairy Tail." Natsu said after eating a mouthful of fire food. Lucy, Gray and Erza nodded at his statement.

"No matter what other people or other mages say, we will accept anyone with a heart the same as everyone's." The blonde said.

"A heart... the same as theirs...?"

"That's right. In this guild, the mages have their own share of sad stories in their past. That's why we try to support each other by becoming one big family. Just like Natsu-kun, Gajeel-kun, Wendy-chan and Gray-kun. They lost their real and foster families at such young ages but in this guild, somehow, the emptiness left by the loss is filled by the love and warmth of the guild members. We're not trying to replace anyone in their lives but we're trying to let everyone know that there would always be people whom they can depend on and share their sadness with."

"Zeref-san, Master Mavis brought you here in the guild because she knows that you also need companionship. We understand that it might take you a while before you adjust to the changes but we're all here for you when the time comes." Mirajane said as she placed a cup of juice in front of Zeref who was thinking.

"Oi, Natsu! Stop it! You're gonna singe my clothes!" Lucy said as she tried to pry Natsu's arm from her shoulders.

"Am not gonna burn them, you know. Try to loosen up and party!"

"I am in the mood for a party!" Lucy grinned and pulled Natsu to the middle of the dancing crowd.

"L-Luce, what are we..."

"We're gonna dance!"

"What!" Natsu blushed furiously while looking at his blonde best friend.

"But Lucy! Natsu can't dance!" Happy said while holding a fish in front of Charle.

"Then I'd teach him how to dance." Lucy declared just as when a slow music started.

"Come on, fireball." Lucy said as she placed Natsu's right hand on her shoulder and his left hand on her waist.

"B-But... I can't dance well..." Natsu complained while blushing.

"Heh... The great Salamander of Fairy Tail is going down on the challenge of dancing? You suck, Slanty Eyes." Gray commented.

"What the hell did you just say, you Exhibitionist!"

"I said you're a loser when it comes to dancing!"

"Wait there, Ice bastard and I'm gonna pummel you to-"Natsu was about to walk to where Gray was but Lucy grabbed him by the scarf.

"Just a minute! You're going to dance with me right here, right now!"

"But Lucy..." Natsu whined while Gray was chuckling.

"Serves you right, Flame-head.

"You're one to talk, Gray. You're not even dancing." Cana commented before chugging down a barrel of wine.

"Says the one on the dance floor." Gray retorted. The Ice mage looked around in search of a certain bluenette who seemed to have stopped stalking him for quite some time now.

_'What's with her?' _He thought.

"You're bothered that Juvia has been distant towards you for a while, huh?" Freed commented as he leant on the bar. Gray perked up at this and looked at the green-haired man.

"Not really."

"Oh, Gray." Mirajane said.

"Like that'd work on anyone here in Fairy Tail." Freed said.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about." Gray lied.

"Really? Then, you probably won't be interested in knowing that she has a lot of suitors right now. Don't be surprised that one of these days, she just might stop stalking you completely. Also, Juvia had been going on A-ranked missions these past few days. The missions seemed to be her stress reliever of some sort." Mira glanced at Freed in a silent request to help her out.

"There were times that she returned here while wrapped in bandages. We offered to help her out but she refused, saying she's alright and just needed to clear her mind." The rune mage said while Gray frowned at the mention of Juvia being injured.

"Brats, I've got an announcement to make! You go and grab a partner then dance to the tune of the music! The contest will start at 8PM so that means you have two more hours to prepare! Whoever's the cutest couple tonight would win prizes!" Makarov announced and everyone cheered. Most of them already got their partners and went out of the guild to look for clothes to wear.

Juvia was about to walk out of the guild when she was surrounded by the new members of Fairy Tail who were her suitors.

-"Juvia-san, please dance with us!"- All eight of them said while Juvia blushed.

"J-Juvia... uhh... Juvia doesn't..."

_'Juvia's in a pinch!' _She thought.

A certain Ice mage heard the commotion of the group and gripped his glass tightly, almost causing it to shatter. Freed and Mira exchanged looks and sighed. When they were about to persuade him again, Gray stood up abruptly, leaving the glass on the counter and marched off to where Juvia was.

"G-Gray-sama..." Juvia stuttered when Gray approached them with an irritated look on his face. The eight newbies of Fairy Tail looked at him with confused look on their faces.

-"Something wrong, Gray-san?"- They asked.

_'Like hell there is!' _Gray thought as he grabbed Juvia's hand. The water mage immediately blushed at the contact.

"Nobody dances with Juvia except me. That has been decided long ago." With that, Gray and Juvia left the gaping group of guys.

"He lllliiiikes her!" Happy said.

"Whoa! That ice exhibitionist sure seems to be in a bad mood." Natsu said as he watched Gray and Juvia leave the guild.

"Heh... Gray seems to be catching up on things he should've noticed a lot of years ago." Lucy said with a smile.

"Whatcha' talking about, Luce?" Natsu asked while his arms were crossed behind his head.

"Oh, nothing. I'm sure Gray and Juvia would tell us about it in due time."

"Huh...?" Natsu looked at Happy who was also as confused as him. Suddenly, Natsu grinned and wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulders.

"Come on, Luce! Let's look for clothes!"

"E-Eh? Wha..."

"You're gonna be my partner, weirdo." The duo left while Happy was rolling his tongue again.

"They llliiiiike each other!"

"It's just like the Master to organize a contest right now." Erza said while smiling.

"Erza-san." Mavis said as she faced the red-haired mage.

"What is it, Master Mavis?"

"I believe that someone wants to talk to you at the guild's backyard."

"Who?"

"You'll see. Go on, Erza-san and bring him inside. He wanted to talk to you ever since we returned earlier but he opted not to disturb you thinking that you were busy."

Erza nodded even though she was still confused. The re-equip mage went out of the guild and headed towards the backyard. Under the shady tree, she saw the cloaked mage with lots of staff on his back and her eyes widened.

"Jellal... what are you doing here?" She said as she approached her childhood friend.

"Erza, I..."

"Why didn't you go inside the guild instead of waiting here?"

"I'm not a part of the guild. Mystogan is." Jellal said in a dejected voice as he took the scarf off from covering his face.

"Then, go inside as Jellal Fernandes. Crime Sorciere disbanded a month ago when almost all of the members returned to their previous guilds and lives to correct their mistakes together with the people who care for them."

"Master Makarov will get angry at me. He can't possibly take me in for the second time. The rest of the mages would also be angered at my return after all that happened." Jellal said while Erza smiled.

"Tell that to the people who accepted a new addition to the family."

"What? Who's the new member?"

Erza looked at Jellal with a pained look on her face. This caused Jellal to approach her.

"Master Mavis... brought Zeref to the guild..."

"What? The black mage... Zeref?" Erza nodded and rubbed her arm in an uncomfortable fashion.

"Yeah. Master Mavis saw that Zeref needs companionship and protection which can be found in the guild. It seems that Zeref wants to atone for all the sins and death he committed over the years. Everyone, including Master Makarov, agreed in giving him a chance to correct his mistakes."

Jellal was silent for a minute that's why Erza took the initiative and hugged the blue-haired man.

"Jellal, I'm also worried for you. I want to help you. Please start anew with me and everyone in the guild."

Jellal returned the hug and nodded. When they broke the hug, Erza held Jellal's hand and they walked to the town.

"Master Makarov organized a contest for everyone. We have two hours to prepare."

"Prepare for what kind of contest?"

"A dancing contest."

"I see."

They walked hand-in-hand to the town while looking for clothes to wear that night. Meanwhile, back at the guild...

"Zeref-kun, why are you just sitting around? We need to look for clothes too, you know!" Mavis said as she clasped Zeref's hands in her own.

"I..."

"The 3rd Master organized this party for you as well as the dance contest. Everything will be alright." Mavis was grinning while Zeref was a bit undecided.

"You need to loosen up, Zeref-kun. For the past 400 hundred years, we're very sure that you've carried a lot of burden because of everything you've witnessed. For 400 hundred years, you should've witnessed birth and death, war and peace, and how this cycle repeated itself. It's tiring, isn't it? Fairy Tail was built for anyone to be able to carry such pain together with everyone. Master Mavis is there for you that's why we know that you'd be alright." Makarov said as a small smile appeared on Zeref's lips. The girl's swooned around them when they saw the mage's smile.

-"Kawaii!"-

"Thank you, Makarov-san." Zeref said. Mavis looked at the girls around them and sighed.

_'My, my. He sure gained so many fan girls with just one smile.' _She thought.

"Mavis, please be my partner for the dance contest." Zeref said as he looked at the surprised blonde mage. In a split second, Mavis grinned and nodded.

"Of course! Let's go, Zeref-kun!"

Makarov chuckled as he drank his wine.

"It seems that the guild will be livelier more than ever. Even Master Mavis's found herself a partner."

Two hours later, the mages returned in their formal outfits together with their partners. The girls were told to line up on the second floor while their respective partners were downstairs. Makarov, Macao and Wakaba were the judges while Kinana was the host since Mirajane was competing.

The mages who didn't join were excitedly waiting for the contest to start. The Exceeds were seated on a table while looking at the mages who were going to dance.

"Good evening, everyone! We're going to start the most awaited contest for tonight! Here are our couples. First up, our lovely bartender Mirajane and her partner, the Rune mage, Freed!"

Cheers erupted as Mirajane descended the steps and Freed offered his arm for her to take as they walked to the dance floor. Mirajane was dressed in red V-necked dress with thigh-slit while Freed was wearing red long-sleeves with black linings and black slacks.

"Our next couple is the Sky Maiden Wendy and the Fire mage, Romeo!"

Macao and Wakaba were the loudest cheerers of the kids. Charle was smiling while her paws were crossed in front of her chest. Wendy smiled at Romeo when she reached the last step of the stairs and they walked to the dance floor next to Mirajane and Freed. Wendy was clad in white Lolita outfit while Romeo was wearing white and blue tuxedo.

"Couple number three, the Celestial Mage Lucy and the Salamander, Natsu!"

"Go, Natsu! Lucy!" Happy cheered.

A lot of mages cheered for the Stellar Mage as she descended the steps and smiled at her partner when she reached him. They were of course, wearing matching outfits especially made by Virgo from the spirit world. Their color theme was blue and yellow.

"Couple number four, our Solid Script Mage Levy and the Iron Dragon, Gajeel!"

As they were called, Jet and Droy started weeping. Levy walked down the stairs dressed in orange cocktail dress. Gajeel, who was a wearing grey tuxedo, smirked at her as they went to their spot.

"Gajeel joined! Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Happy asked with wide eyes, even Charle couldn't believe it. Lily just smirked while looking at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"That's Gajeel all right."

"Couple number five, Fairy Tail's Titania, Erza and Fairy Tail's Prince, Jellal!"

There were gasps and cheers that came from the audience as Erza held on Jellal's arm. The couples on the dance floor cheered for the two as they went to their spot. Erza was dressed in a white and red flowing dress while Jellal was wearing white long-sleeves and blue vest.

"Finally! I knew it was you, Jellal!" Natsu said as he grinned at the blue-haired mage who was smiling.

"Couple number six, the Water Mage Juvia and the Ice Mage, Gray!"

Juvia had a faint blush on her cheeks as she descended the staircase. Gray had a permanent smirk on his face as Juvia hooked her arm around his and they walked to their spot. Juvia was wearing a blue tube cocktail dress while Gray was wearing blue long-sleeves and white vest.

"And for our last couple, Fairy Tail's Fairy, Master Mavis and the Black Mage, Zeref!"

Loud cheers were given to the two and Zeref was totally grateful for their acceptance. His gaze, however, was focused on the blonde descending the steps while clad in a baby pink cocktail dress with a bow on the waist.

Never in his whole life had he seen someone as beautiful as Mavis, not even those girls from before can ever compare to the Fairy mage. He himself was wearing white tuxedo and white slacks, totally in contrast to his black clothes before as well as the title given to him.

"Earthland to Zeref-kun, are you still here?" Mavis teased as she linked her arm on Zeref's. The black mage shook his head as the corners of his lips twitched a bit upwards to a smile and led them to their place.

"Now that all of our participating couples are here, let the dance, begin!" Kinana said as Cana started up the music which was waltz. The couples swayed to the tune of the music and Makarov decided to make an annual dance contest for everyone in the guild.

He, Wakaba and Macao were looking at the dancing mages with complete interest. They were also scribbling things on the papers they were holding.

"Really, Natsu. I didn't expect that you'd ask me to be your partner for this contest." Lucy said while Natsu was assisting their dance movements.

"Why? I don't have any other partner, you know."

"It's not that... I mean... I thought for sure that you'd ask... Lisanna."

"Lisanna?"

Lucy nodded. She was not oblivious to Lisanna's feelings towards Natsu. She knows that if she didn't barge in his life, Natsu would one hundred percent end up with Lisanna. The blonde mage felt a pang in her heart because she knows that she likes Natsu. She even probably loves him but since she didn't want to hurt Lisanna, she's emotionally torn.

"Luce, I don't know what's going on with that weird mind of yours but I'm totally sure that the only girl I'll ever ask to be my partner, whether on a mission or a dance, is you." Natsu sincerely said.

"But what about Lisanna?"

"Lisanna's a little sister to me. Of course she's important."

Not far from them, Lisanna smiled a little. Her stay in Edolas taught her a lot of things including reading lip movements and was certain of what Natsu told Lucy. Of course, she's hurt but not bitter.

"Well, they were together even in Edolas anyway." She mumbled. Just then, a glass of cocktail appeared in front of her. Looking up, she saw Laxus holding the glass for her.

"Cheer up, cat. It's not like you to sulk." He said as the girl accepted the drink.

"Thank you, Laxus."

Jellal spun Erza and gently took her back in his arms as they continued to dance. Erza had a contented smile on her face while looking at the man in front of her.

"Are you going to stay here at the guild? I can help you talk with Master Makarov."

"Erza, I'll talk with the Master. It's all up to him whether or not to accept me here in the guild. I already made you suffer a lot in the past, and I will do everything I can to never hurt you again." Jellal said as he hugged the woman who meant everything to him.

"Oh, Jellal..."

Meanwhile, Juvia had her gaze focused on the floor while she was dancing with Gray. The black-haired man however, wanted something to be done and over with and it concerns the bluenette in front of him.

"Juvia..."

"Y-Yes, Gray-sama?" The girl stammered.

"You've been avoiding me these past few days." It was a statement and clearly not a question he wanted her to answer.

"Eh?"

'_Gray-sama noticed that? Juvia's in trouble!' _Juvia thought as she raked her mind to say something.

"Ju-Juvia wasn't avoiding Gray-sama... Juvia was just busy with her missions."

"And you've been endangering your life in those missions. Are you planning to die?" Gray hissed through gritted teeth. Juvia flinched when she saw pain and anger in Gray's eyes.

"Gray-sama..."

"I... I..." Gray cursed under his breath and decided to act on his actions instead. He pulled Juvia towards him and wrapped his arms around her. They managed to continue dancing, though.

"Gray-sama, Juvia's sorry for everything... Ju-Juvia decided to... stop pestering Gray-sama so he wouldn't be irritated by Juvia anymore... Juvia already gave Gray-sama so many troubles so Juvia needs to move on and-"

"No!" He growled.

"Wh-What..."

"You wouldn't be doing anything you said. Go ahead and follow me anywhere and everywhere I go. I'll even give you the spare key to my apartment if that'll make you stay. And you definitely won't distance yourself from me."

"B-But Juvia already gave Gray-sama too much trouble... Juvia knows that she's just a bother for Gray-sama..."

"I never said that, right? I will never say that because you're not a bother to me. Juvia, I don't want you to leave me." At the tone of Gray's voice, it looked like he was pleading her to stay with him and continue stalking him.

"Gray-sama, why? What's with the sudden change? I-It's not like Juvia isn't happy about it but..."

"I don't want to lose you..."

"Lose me...? What do you mean by that, Gray-sama?"

Gray sighed then buried his face in Juvia's soft blue hair. Juvia blushed and leant on Gray's chest since she has no way of escaping from his arms.

"You really don't get a thing, do you?"

"Hai?"

Gray just let Juvia's question hanging for the mean time.

_'There are more chances aside from this. I'll let it go for now.' _Gray thought as he opened his eyes and saw the eight guys from before. They looked at Juvia with pure affection.

_'Scratch that! I won't let Juvia go and be together with any of them or even Lyon!' _Gray placed his finger under Juvia's chin and tilted her face to meet his gaze.

"You wanna know why I don't want to lose you?" At this, Juvia nodded while entranced with the emotions flickering in Gray's eyes.

"Because I love you and I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose someone as special as you."

"Gray-sama... Juvia's..." Juvia trailed off and passed out. She wasn't able to suppress her overflowing happiness after hearing her Prince tell her that he actually loves her. Gray caught her immediately since she was already in his arms.

"J-Juvia? Hey, Juvia! Oh, shit!" Gray scooped the girl in his arms and headed to the infirmary. Natsu and Gajeel who heard his confession because of their heightened sense of hearing chuckled while dancing with their respective partners. Even though Wendy didn't mean to overhear Gray's confession, she couldn't help it since her sense of hearing is also above normal.

All of the couples continued dancing until the music faded to its last notes. Everyone clapped and Kinana stood on the stage while holding a piece of paper which came from the three judges.

"Alright! I know everyone's anxious to know as to whom among our seven pairs of couples won so I won't make you guys wait any longer. The third place goes to..."

Alzack and Bisca started the drumroll and Kinana spoke up when they were finished.

"Natsu and Lucy! They'll receive 200,000 jewels and two eat-all-you-can vouchers at one of the best restaurants here in Magnolia!"

"We won, Lucy! We're third place! There's eat-all-you-can too!" Natsu said as he hugged Lucy.

"I know! That's great! I can pay my rent with my share and you can do whatever you want with your share."

The duo went up the stage and accepted the prizes from Wakaba as the other guild members clapped.

"Let's now move on to the next winners. Our second place goes to..."

The drumroll started again.

"Jellal and Erza! They'll receive 300,000 jewels and two VIP tickets for the amusement park, Magic Land!"

"We'd be going there together after this." Jellal said as Erza smiled. They went to the stage to claim their prizes from Macao.

"And here's our first place! The cutest couple of the night is..."

The drumroll started once again before Kinana spoke.

"Master Mavis and Zeref! They'll receive 400,000 jewels and two days- one night stay at Akane Beach!"

"Yay! We won, Zeref-kun! We won!" Mavis jumped a bit before engulfing Zeref in a hug.

"Y-Yeah, we did." Zeref found the matter unbelievable but seeing Mavis completely happy, it made him feel comfortable.

The both of them went to the stage and claimed their prizes from Makarov.

"Alright, punks! Let's party until the morning!" Makarov announced and everyone cheered.

* * *

><p>On the other hand, at Tenroujima...<p>

"Sir, we didn't find anyone on the island. There were no signs of the Black Mage as well." One of the Rune Knights reported to Lahar.

"Damn. Where could the Mage of Death have possibly hidden himself?" Lahar muttered.

"Officer, an order just came from the Magic Council. They ordered us to investigate the Grimoire Heart guild before continuing the search here on Tenroujma." Mest or Doranbolt said.

"Fine. Everyone, get in the ship and we'd go to Grimoire Heart!"

-"Yes, sir!"-

* * *

><p><em>Sandaime- Third Master<em>

**I give up being mean to Lahar. ( -_- ) He reminds me so much of Bleach's Ishida Uryuu so, yeah. I won't harm him. It's quite long, huh? The next chapter might take a little while to be finished.**

**Until the next update, ciao!**

**~ sapphire wind**


	5. Chapter 5

**Waah! I'm very sorry for the delay! . It took me a long while before I got an idea on what to write next. Gomen ne~**

**Mavis no Himitsu, douzo!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Mavis's Secret<strong>

"I'm full... I can't eat anymore." Lucy said while looking at Natsu who was still eating like there was no tomorrow.

"Want some dessert?" Natsu asked as he held a cup of ice cream for Lucy to see. The blonde perked up and accepted the offer. Natsu grinned and continued eating.

"Natsu, just where on earth do you put all those amounts of food in your body?"

"It's all in the muscles and the flames." Natsu answered simply. Lucy shook her head and just continued eating her ice cream.

"Ne, Natsu. What do you think of Zeref?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I do not doubt him or anything but I'm just curious. After all those years of seeing people die because of his magic, I wonder what changed him."

Natsu swallowed all the food in his mouth before answering with a smile.

"I guess it's because of Master Mavis."

"What do you mean?"

"I think Master changed Zeref because of her kindness and I can't sense any tension in Zeref when Master's with him."

"Mavis-san's really amazing. To think that she was able to make the black mage change from bad to good."

"Well, we're talking about the First Master of Fairy Tail after all."

Lucy nodded and grinned.

"I guess you're right. Now I'm curious as to how Juvia is. She fainted yesterday and she's still in the infirmary. Why were you and Gajeel laughing at Gray anyway?"

"That? The Prince of Frozen Boxers confessed to Juvia."

"Confessed? As in Gray told Juvia that he loves her?"

"Yeah."

'_At least Juvia finally found the happiness she was looking for. I wonder if I'll ever find mine.' _Lucy thought while staring at the empty cup of ice cream. Seeing that Lucy was preoccupied by something, Natsu just stared at her.

"Luce, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. It's nothing, really. Come on, let's eat." Lucy took the plate of strawberry short-cake and ate. Natsu noticed the lie but said nothing. He can always ask her later.

* * *

><p>"Zeref-kun, when are we going to Akane Beach?" Mavis asked the black-haired lad while they were sitting at a park.<p>

"I don't know... When do you want to go?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Okay."

"I'll also talk to my friend who owns a hotel there. I'm sure she'd be delighted to see me again after a long time." Mavis said with a giggle while Zeref looked at her.

"Your friend can see you? I thought that only the members of Fairy Tail can because of their guild marks."

"You can see me too, right?"

"Point taken." Zeref said as he nodded while Mavis giggled more.

"You can see me because of your necklace."

"My necklace?"

"I gave you that as a remembrance of our friendship. I fused some of my powers in that so that even if I'm gone, you'd still be safe. Same goes for my friend, Mika-chan. I'll introduce you to her tomorrow." Mavis then stood up and pulled Zeref by the hand.

"Let's go home. I'll cook!"

The both of them went to Mavis's house. It was still well-kept even after Mavis's death. Zeref stood at the kitchen while Mavis was taking ingredients from the refrigerator.

"I can feel your gaze on me, Zeref-kun."

"Sorry." Zeref looked at his feet while Mavis giggled.

"You can wait for the food."

"I want to help..."

"Hmm... why don't we take turns in cooking? I'll cook lunch this time while you'll cook our dinner. How's that?" Zeref nodded and Mavis grinned.

"Go on, now. I'll call you when I'm finished."

Zeref settled himself on one of the chairs at the dining room. Minutes later, the delicious aroma from the food that Mavis prepared wafted in the air. Then, the mage herself went out of the kitchen while carrying a bowl of soup. Behind her was a small bowl of rice, a pair of chopsticks, a plate of sautéed vegetables, and a glass floating in mid-air.

Zeref was almost gaping at what he was seeing. He was still not used to the fact that Mavis has the power to levitate whatever she wished even after knowing her for so long.

Mavis placed everything on the table then grinned at Zeref.

"What are you waiting for? Dig in!"

"Ittadakimasu." Zeref mumbled under his breath as he began to eat.

"I'll just go to the guild for a while, okay?" Mavis said and Zeref nodded. The blonde mage disappeared, leaving Zeref in the house.

* * *

><p>"Master Makarov..." Jellal said while looking at the third master of Fairy Tail. They were in his office at the second floor of the guild.<p>

"You finally took the mask off."

"I did. I know that I don't have the right to ask this of you after all that happened in the past but... please let me join your guild. I want to heal Erza from the pain I gave her. I want to protect her so she won't cry over anything anymore... There's nothing in this world that I wouldn't do if it means that she'd be safe and that the smile from the bottom of her heart would return on her lips..."

Makarov looked at the man standing before him. He could see that he's saying the truth. After all, he knows how important Erza is for Jellal.

"Sandaime, are you going to make this man cry?" Mavis said as she appeared inside the room. Jellal looked at Mavis with wide eyes while Makarov stood on his table as he looked at the blonde.

"Master Mavis..."

"I felt Jellal-kun's desire to make Erza-san happy even though his heart was clenching because of his regret. Ever since I've seen Jellal-kun at the Magic tournament, I knew he had an important someone to protect." Mavis said with a smile while looking at Jellal who bowed his head.

"I'm sorry for slipping in during the competition."

"That's alright. So, you want to join the guild, right?" Mavis grinned as Makarov gave her the stamp with the guild's mark.

"Yes." Jellal answered as he looked at the two masters.

"Take off your jacket so I can mark your left arm."

Jellal did what he was told and took his dark blue jacket off. Mavis approached him and stamped Jellal's left arm. After that, there on Jellal's arm was the scarlet mark of Fairy Tail. It was also in the same place as Erza's blue guild mark.

"There you go. Now, I just want you to promise me something."

"What is it, Master Mavis?"

"Please take care of Erza-san."

"Of course."

"And, confess to her, will you?" At this, Jellal blushed while Makarov chuckled. Mavis shook her head as she sighed.

"Kids these days... What am I going to do with the both of you? You're both adults yet you're playing hide-and-seek while it's obvious on how you feel about each other. Geez..."

"Master, you're making it sound like you're a lot older than me." Makarov said while chuckling.

"I am older than you, Master Makarov but I'm not going to tell anyone my age. Now go on, Jellal-kun. I'm sure Erza-san already finished eating her sixth plate of strawberry cake downstairs."

"Hai. Thank you very much, Master Makarov and Master Mavis." Jellal said as he left the office.

"Master Mavis, I didn't know you were coming here." Makarov said while looking at the blonde.

"Oh, I just dropped by. I left Zeref-kun at home because he was eating and I wanted to ask you about what I left here in the guild."

"You mean..."

"The magic that rivals that of the One World... the Lumen Etoile."

* * *

><p>"Speak, where's the black mage Zeref?" Lahar said while looking at Rusty Rose.<p>

"How would I know? It has been seven years since we last saw him." The man answered while Kain Hikaru was nodding beside him.

"Where are your other members?" Doranbolt asked.

"Azuma, Zancrow and Master Hades are dead. Ultear-san and Meredy are nowhere to be found. It's only me and Kain Hikaru here on the ruins of our guild."

"Have you set foot on Tenroujima these past few years?" Lahar questioned.

"No. We've always been here." Kain Hikaru said.

"Tsk. Let's go." Lahar turned to his back with a frown on his face. Doranbolt and the other Rune Knights left the ruins, leaving Rusty Rose and Kain Hikaru on their own.

* * *

><p><em>"Because I love you and I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose someone as special as you." Gray said in her dreams and just as when Juvia was about to tell him that she loves him too, the dream abruptly ended.<em>

"Gray-sama!" Juvia's eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes afterwards with a gasp of the ice mage's name. She saw white ceiling and the white wall and concluded that she was in the guild's infirmary.

"You awake?" Someone said and Juvia's heartbeat sped up when she recognized who that voice belongs to.

"Gray-sama..." The bluenette said as she looked at the Ice Mage who was sitting on the chair next to the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ju-Juvia's alright. Sorry for troubling you, Gray-sama."

"What was your dream about? You sure screamed my name." Gray leaned a bit closer and Juvia blushed.

"I-It was nothing!"

"Come on, tell me."

"W-Well... Juvia's dream was about... Gray-sama... telling Juvia that he loves her... I-It was a bit weird because in Juvia's dream... Juvia and Gray-sama were dancing together..."

"What? You mean you thought that that was just a dream?"

"E-Eh? What do you mean, Gray-sama?"

Gray sighed and ran his fingers through his black hair before looking at the water mage and holding her hand.

"Juvia, that wasn't just a dream. I really told you that I love you last night at the dance contest."

"G-Gray-sama loves Juvia? He really does? That wasn't just a dream?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. I want you to answer my question without fainting, okay?"

"Hai."

"Then, Juvia. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Juvia could hear her heart pounding madly against her chest and she literally wanted to melt right then and there. She breathed in and out before smiling.

"H-Hai."

"Great!" Because of his excitement, Gray kissed Juvia on the lips and when he realized what he did, he pulled back then the bluenette fainted. Gray face palmed.

"I'm so stupid!"

He then smiled gently as he looked at the unconscious bluenette. He put his arm on the bed and leaned on it while looking at his girlfriend.

* * *

><p>"Master Mavis... the Lumen Etoile...? But... why...?" Makarov was totally surprised when Mavis mentioned about the Fairy Tail's secret.<p>

"Because I know that sometime in the near future, we will need to tell the kids about what we're hiding. Acnologia woke up from the years of sleep it had when Zeref-kun decided not to kill anyone anymore. The apocalypse cannot be avoided since it has been in the Doomsday Book ever since Earthland was created."

"The Doomsday Book? Master Mavis... how did you know about that book?"

"My ancestors were the ones who wrote the Doomsday Book. Birth and death, creation and apocalypse. Everything was written in detail."

"Your ancestors...? You mean... Master... you are a... in truth you are..."

"The truth that I am a fairy."


End file.
